| Abstract | An experimental study has been conducted to determine the effect of oil contamination and filtration on the performance of journal bearings. The tests were carried out on bearings with a diameter of 0.05 m (2 in.), radial clearance of 54 pm (0.0021 in.), and rotating at a speed of 4000 rpm. The level of introduced oil contamination was 15 mg/l, which with the ISO Medium Test Dust typically led to the ISO level of 21/20/16. This study included measurements of bearing operating temperature, relative displacement of the bearing and shaft, as well as inspection of the bearing surface after the tests. The observed effects of oil contamination included:
• damage to the bearing surface
• increased bearing temperature
• reduced thickness of the bearing gap.
The tests also verified effectiveness of the KN filtration (36=200), which is recommended by Pall Corp. It was shown that a KN filter provided sufficient protection against the detrimental effects of oil contamination. |
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